Say Something, Say Anything
by crashspike22
Summary: It is easier to be quiet. But sometimes if you stand up and make your voice heard, you can change everything. This is an AU story based in Season 2. Rated M for Language and Later Chapters. Peyton/Anna pairing. Please review! Special thanks to Peyton's Comet! Chapter 9 is up right now!
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's notes: This story is for Peyton's Comet. It was her push that made me start this. I have a few chapters done and I don't plan on this being a long story. So here's chapter 1. **_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me. **_

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 1**_

Peyton Sawyer climbed onto her bed. She curled her legs up in front of her and had her arms resting on her knees. This night had been one of the worst nights of her life. Everything that could possibly go wrong had happened to her tonight. She had to go the dance by herself and all that did was make her miss Jake and Jenny more than she already did. Then she had compliment Anna on the way her dress looked and that resulted in Anna calling her gay. Her mom's dress had been completely ruined by some asshole. Her attempts to clean it had only made the stain worse. And for a second there, she felt like doing coke again. Just so she could feel something besides this overwhelming loneliness and grief. She had got as far as lining it up on a cd before realizing that would only make her feel worse.

After cleaning up the coke and hanging the wet mess that her mom's dress had become up, the only thing Peyton felt like doing was the thing she could do better than most.

Brooding. She was finally out of tears and just felt numb to everything.

Peyton picked up the picture she had drawn of Jake holding Jenny. She stared at it. How many emails had she sent him? How many hours had she spent wondering if he was okay? And out of all those times she spent thinking about Jake, did he ever call her back? Or just send an email to say he wasn't dead?

"Fuck him." Peyton said coldly and tore the picture in half.

She tossed the pieces on the bed and continued staring at the wall. What was the point in caring about someone who didn't give a shit about you? If the universe wanted her to be miserable, then she was going to be miserable. At least she could understand the misery. Sure there might be a new reason for it, but misery was the constant. She sighed deeply.

For all the changes she had made in her life, somehow she was still alone.

Lucas had pretty much been M.I.A since dare night. And her best friend Brooke Davis was absent as well. She had been spending every second with that new guy Felix. She didn't know when it happened but lately she was feeling more and more disconnected from them. Sure they would check in with her but that was it. Neither of them seemed to care what was going on in her life.

But she wasn't going to hold her breath. After all this was the same Brooke Davis who had forgotten the anniversary of her mom's death and the same Lucas Scott who was too scared to tell her he was leaving town. There was only so much disappointment Peyton could take. At this point, she barely cared. And nothing was going to change her mind.

Now, she had another night of brooding ahead of her.

She heard the side door to her house creak open and then somebody walking through her house. Knowing her luck, it was probably some psycho that obsessed with her.

* * *

_A few minutes earlier…_

Anna Taggaro opened the side door of the Sawyer house and came inside. She could never understand why Peyton didn't lock the doors to the house. It just seemed weird. She turned the lock on the door and headed towards the front door which was also unlocked. Anna locked it with a sigh. Clearly, security wasn't one of Peyton's concerns.

And she did too. Once she noticed that Peyton had bailed on the party at the beach house, the Latina felt like the worst person in the world. The look on Peyton's face had stayed with her for the rest of the night. She had let Felix influence her once again. And it wasn't Peyton's fault that she was too scare to stand up to him. But that wasn't the point. Regardless of her own issues, Anna got the feeling that whatever was going on with Peyton was far more serious.

So instead of going home, she went to check on her.

She climbed the stairs, walked down the hall and stood in the doorway. The blonde looked like she had been crying all night long. It broke Anna's heart to see her like this. She took a deep breath and spoke.

"Rough night?"

Peyton looked towards her doorway and there stood Anna. The Latina was still wearing her dress from the formal and she was holding her heels in her hand. From the looks of it, the after party at Nathan's beach house hadn't gone that well.

"You could say that…" Peyton answered with a sad little smile.

"I am sorry for what I said earlier. Everybody was laughing and I don't know what came over me…" Anna started to say but Peyton quickly dismissed her apology.

"Don't worry about it." Peyton said. The insult had bugged her but it was in the bottom half of her top five reasons her evening sucked. Hopefully, Anna would pick up on that. She didn't and continued apologizing anyway.

"I do worry about it. We just started to be friends and I blow it…" Anna said as she approached Peyton's bed. From the look on her face, Peyton could tell this important to her. And she was the only person that was worried about her at the moment.

"It's okay Anna. We all do stupid things. I've done my fair share." Peyton said. Anna stood there silently for a second. Like she was processing what Peyton had just told her. Then she spoke again.

"Peyton, you said at Haley's slumber party that you wanted to be able to talk about anything. Well I went into your purse earlier to borrow your lipstick and…"

God, do I have to relive every second of this night? Peyton thought.

"It's okay Anna. I already flushed the rest of it down the toilet. I only did the one time. I've just been fighting it." Peyton admitted.

Anna nodded and then got into the bed next to Peyton. She picked the pieces of the picture.

"This have anything to do with this?" She asked.

"Yeah that and everything else." Peyton answered. She looked into Anna's eyes for a moment. There was something. She couldn't exactly put it into words but she knew that there was something different about Anna. The other girl broke off the eye contact and put the torn picture down on the bed.

"I know what you mean. I made a fool of myself with Lucas tonight. Why do relationships have to be so hard?" Anna asked.

"Because the only thing harder is being alone." Peyton sighed. She looked at the picture of Jake one more time. And suddenly the thought of spending another night alone in the dark became less appealing. She looked into Anna's eyes once more.

"Look, you can crash here tonight, if you want to." Peyton offered.

"You sure?" Anna said.

"Yeah. It's nice to have some company." Peyton leaned back and stretched out on her bed. Anna did the same and Peyton turned off the lights in the bedroom.

* * *

Anna looked over at Peyton. The blonde had turned over so she was facing away from her. It wasn't fair that Peyton had been dealing with all of this on her own. She understood what it was like to be alone and it sucked.

"I'm sorry." Anna said in the darkness.

"Dude, you have already apologized enough tonight. I am over it." Peyton said. Just then she heard Anna turn on her side.

"That's not what I am apologizing for." Anna replied.

"Oh. So why are you?" Peyton asked without moving.

"I am sorry you are in such pain. And I am sorry you have been dealing with this all by yourself." Anna said.

"I'm not by myself. I have you." Peyton said back.

"Yes you do." Anna said with a smile.

"By the way, you do look really nice in that dress." Peyton said.

"Thanks." Anna said.

"Goodnight Anna." Peyton whispered.

"Goodnight Peyton." Anna looked at Peyton once more before turning back over and falling asleep.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's notes: Well here is another one for you guys. Chapter 3 should show up sometime this weekend. Thanks for reading.**_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me. **_

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 2**_

* * *

Ever since she was a little girl, Anna would always get up with the sun. As soon as the sun rose so did she. No matter where she was. So when 6:53am crept into Peyton's room, Anna was already getting up. She swung her legs out of the bed and her feet hit the cold floor. She liked that feeling though. It helped wake her up. The Latina yawned and looked over her shoulder at the still sleeping blonde.

She lingered in the bed just for a bit. She felt comfortable here. It had been so long since she had felt this way. Peyton made her feel this way. Like it was okay to just be herself. Things just seemed to flow with Peyton. When she was with Lucas there was always this strange air of tension. And she could feel it all last night. She was doing what everybody thought she should do. But sitting here in Peyton's bed, Anna felt like she was doing what she wanted to do.

Anna stared at a still sleeping Peyton with a smile. For a moment, she let her mind wander. Pretending that she had went to the dance with Peyton instead of Lucas. That she and Peyton had spent the evening laughing and talking. After the dance, they would have went for a walk by the water. She would listen to everything that Peyton had to say. Because she knew that she needed someone to just listen to her. And after spending the whole evening together, they would come back to Peyton's room and fall asleep.

"Perfect…" Anna whispered.

"Wha…" Peyton mumbled as she woke up. She thought she heard Anna say something.

Her alarm clock read 6:55am. Which was about an hour earlier than she normally got up. After a night like last night, the blonde wasn't in a hurry to face the day. Especially a school day. She still couldn't understand why her school would have a dance on a Sunday night. It didn't make a bit of sense. Then again, nothing about this town made sense.

Peyton turned over to see Anna sitting on the edge of her bed. She was smiling at her.

"Hey." Peyton said as she sat up.

"Hey. I hope I didn't wake you up." Anna smiled.

"Nah. I always get up at 6:55am." Peyton smirked back.

"Sure you do. But since you're up, I wanted to, um, show you something." Anna stood up, picked up her heels, and held her hand out for Peyton.

"Okay." Peyton got up and took the Latina's hand.

Anna led Peyton out of her room and downstairs. She let go of Peyton's hand just for a second to pull the side door open.

"Where are we going?" Peyton asked.

"Just come on." Anna said. She took Peyton's hand in hers once again and pulled her outside.

It was a cool morning. Not really cold and not really warm. Anna led Peyton to the backyard. The grass was wet with morning dew but it felt nice. Her backyard had a fairly nice view but she didn't really come back here that often. She looked at Anna again but the girl had her eyes closed with her face tilted towards the sky.

"Do you feel that?" Anna asked.

"The wet grass or the…" Peyton started to smart off but just then Anna switched the way she was holding her hand. She let their fingers interlock and she gave the artist's hand a gentle squeeze. Peyton didn't say anything else.

"This is my favorite time of day. The sun is coming up and whatever problems you had the day before don't matter. All that matters is you have a chance to do things differently." Anna took a deep breath in and held it in for a few seconds before letting it out.

"So every morning, I take a few minutes and just let it all go." Anna said.

"But what if you have the kind of problems that always come back?" Peyton asked.

"Then you still take a few minutes. And just pretend like they don't." Anna said.

Peyton just smiled at her friend. Anna always knew what to say. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And for a second, she let it all go. School. Jake. Jenny. Her parents. Lucas. Brooke. The lonely feeling in the pit of her stomach. She exhaled and the weight of her life faded away. And she was actually okay with being Peyton Sawyer. She opened her eyes and turned to face Anna.

"Thank you for sharing that with me." Peyton said.

"Sure thing. So I am gonna head home…" Anna said.

"I can give you a lift if you need one." Peyton offered.

"No, I can walk but maybe we could hang out after school. If you aren't busy…" Anna said.

"I am all yours." Peyton said and then she blushed immediately. Where did that come from? Fortunately, it didn't seem like Anna noticed.

"Great, so I'll see you at school." Anna started to pull away from Peyton but the blonde held onto her hand.

"Anna…" Peyton said.

"Yeah?" Anna replied.

"Thanks for staying with me last night. It was nice having you here." Peyton said as sincerely as she could. She gave Anna's hand a squeeze.

Anna just smiled at her again and she gently let go of Peyton's hand. The Latina walked backwards for a few steps. Like she was taking a mental picture of this moment. The look on Peyton's face was priceless. She knew that she really meant it.

"It was nice being here. See ya." Anna turned around and left the backyard.

Peyton stood there a moment. She wriggled her toes in the grass and smiled. Maybe Anna was right. It was a new day and she could make this day whatever she wanted.

* * *

Anna walked into her room and put her heels down by the door. She had hoped the walk would give her the chance to figure out what she was going to do about Lucas. But it didn't. In fact all she did was think about was seeing Peyton after school. And even now she was smiling. She wasn't exactly sure how Peyton felt about her and truthfully she wasn't sure how she felt about Peyton. Anna knew she liked spending time with her. And for now, that was enough.

"There she is. Angel of the morning."

Anna turned around and there was her brother, Felix, leaning in the doorway. God, he was such a freak sometimes. Especially when he pulled this 'cool guy' crap. When he did this stuff, it always felt like he was trying too hard.

"Look I wasn't with Lucas so just chill out." Anna said. Felix walked into her room and right up to her. He folded his arms and glared at her.

"So then where were you?" Felix asked.

Anna paused. She knew that the second she said where she actually spent the night, Felix was going to do something to her. However, Peyton was Brooke's best friend so maybe he would leave her alone.

"I was at Peyton's." Anna admitted.

"Really? That's great. Mom and Dad will love to hear that." Felix scoffed.

"Then don't tell them." Anna shot back.

"Fine. But just let me know when I should start packing again." Felix turned to walk out of her room.

His words stung a bit more than she cared to admit. After all it was her fault that her family had to move and she couldn't blame him for being the way he was. She wanted to tell him to leave Peyton alone. But she knew her brother and it was just a matter of time.

She took her necklace off and stared at her reflection. Just a few minutes ago, Anna felt like she was okay. She felt like she belonged somewhere for once. Now she felt like last night was nothing but a faint memory. Hanging out with a girl is what got her in trouble and now she was making the same mistakes again. Anna looked down at her dresser for moment. Soon a tear fell from her eye. Which was followed by another. She couldn't do this to her family again.

The only thing she could do is get ready for school and stay away from Peyton.

No matter how she felt.

* * *

**One hour later…**

**In the hallway at Tree Hill High…**

Peyton turned to see her best friend Brooke Davis walking towards her. For a second, given the look on her face, that maybe Brooke was concerned about her. Before she could even say anything, Brooke spoke.

"Hey. Did you hear about my window?"

And as usual, she didn't ask about what happened to her last night or if she was okay. All she wanted to do was talk about her crap. She always found a way to make everything about her. And lately, the only person she wanted to talk about was Felix. However, this morning, she wanted to talk about whoever broke the windshield on her car.

"Somebody bashed in my car window last night. Can you believe that? Can things get any worse?" Brooke asked.

Peyton sighed and closed her locker. On the door in big spray painted red letters was the word dyke.

"You wanna ask me that again?" Peyton replied.

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's notes: I was going to post over the weekend but Mother Nature decided to dump 77 inches of snow on my house. Thanks for reading.**_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me. **_

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 3**_

* * *

**Lunchtime…**

**Tree Hill High Quad…**

Peyton sat down on the bench in the quad. Of course the student body of Tree Hill was practically in a feeding frenzy over this act of vandalism. She was getting looks from everybody. And for some reason, Brooke was arguing with Felix again. She was really starting to wonder how she was even friends with her. If she hated him so much, then why was she taking the time to argue with him? It wasn't like her best friend needed her support. She leaned back and sighed.

Anna would listen to me… Peyton thought.

She had been thinking about her since she left this morning. Anna had made her see things differently. That if she just let it go for a little bit, then she could deal. This incident felt like something different entirely and she wasn't sure that she could just shrug it off. At this point, she wanted to be anywhere else on God's green Earth.

And she wished that Anna was there to keep her company. Just as she had that thought, Brooke came over towards her.

"With men like him in the world, it's a wonder that we all aren't gay." Brooke said as she sat down.

Peyton didn't even acknowledge her. She just kept looking around the quad and counting the people who were staring. And she was looking for Anna but Brooke didn't need to hear that.

"Do you see how everybody is looking at me?" Peyton asked.

"Nobody is taking this seriously." Brooke replied.

"Really because half the girls in P.E. wouldn't change in front of me." Peyton said.

"That's because you look better than they do naked." Brooke replied with a little smirk. Peyton was failing to see the humor in this situation.

"Do you have any idea who did it?" Brooke asked.

The artist shook her head no.

"Well if you ask me, they did you a favor. Boys love lesbians." Brooke said in a seductive tone.

Seriously? This is how you make me feel better…Peyton thought.

"C'mon, the old P. Sawyer would have just rolled with this." Brooke continued.

"Well I haven't been the old P. Sawyer in a while now have I?" Peyton asked.

"Hey your real friends are here for you." Brooke said with sincerity.

Peyton still didn't know what to say. Was she talking about her real friends that all seemed to be completely oblivious to her problems? The ones that just ignored her most days? Those real friends? Peyton just sighed.

She looked over by the bulletin board to see Anna walking towards her and Brooke. She gave her friend a smile and waved her over. But to her surprise, Anna didn't even acknowledge her. In fact she just walked over to the table where her brother and Mouth were sitting. She sat down with her back turned.

It felt like she had been slapped across the face. She heard Brooke say something like she was insulted by Anna's actions. And that was the last straw.

"Fuck this. I am getting out of here." Peyton stood up and grabbed her things.

"Peyton. I know you are upset but come on it's just a harmless prank." Brooke said.

"Harmless? You think somebody writing Dyke on MY locker is harmless?" Peyton asked.

"No. I just think you are getting worked up for no reason. This is high school. Stuff like this happens all the time." Brooke said.

"Just because it happens all the time doesn't make it okay, Brooke. You know what? I have had enough of this crap today." Peyton said.

"I don't know what your problem is Sawyer but you need to relax." Brooke snarked as she folded her arms.

"I can't believe you are saying this to me. Actually I can." Peyton said.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Brooke asked.

"It means that I am out of here." Peyton turned and walked away from the cheerleader.

She saw Lucas standing nearby and he was making that face he liked to make when he wanted to talk. He even threw in some of that meaningful eye contact.

Seriously? Peyton thought. The last thing she needed was to talk to Broody McSquintypants. So she kept going.

* * *

Anna watched the blonde head towards the parking lot. Her stomach was a fluttering mess. Everything inside of her was screaming for her to get up and follow her. She could feel it all the way down to the bottom of her feet. She had told herself to not think about Peyton and she spent all morning thinking about her. Then she saw Peyton's locker.

It reminded her of everything that she had gone through back at her old school. And that she didn't want to deal with that ever again.

Peyton was her friend. And she should have said something to her. But instead she did nothing. Now Peyton probably hated her.

Anna sighed. Every time she tried to do what was expected of her, she ended up making herself feel bad. She knew she had to do something to make this right.

She just didn't know what to do.

* * *

Peyton picked up her phone and dialed the number for her dad's company. She didn't want to worry him but she just needed to hear from somebody that cared. And she knew her dad cared. The phone rang a few times before the answering services picked up.

"Damn it…" Peyton hung the phone up and tried again. There was still no answer. She put the phone back on the hook and leaned on her desk. Today had started out so well and now she felt just as lost as she did last night. Then she heard a knock on the door. She looked up and saw Lucas standing there.

FUCK. Peyton thought. Lucas had tracked her down and now she had nowhere to go. She knew he meant well but she just didn't feel like talking to him.

"Hey." Lucas said from the door.

"Hey." Peyton said back.

"So I saw you cut out of lunch today. I just wanted to know how you were doin'…" Lucas walked into the room. He made eye contact with Peyton.

"I have been better." Peyton sat down on her bed in a huff.

"Do you know who wrote it?" Lucas sat down next to her.

"Why does everybody keep asking me that? I don't care who did it. I just want it to be over. All of this crap." Peyton said,

He noticed the torn up picture of Jake and Jenny.

"You miss Jake…" Lucas said.

Peyton looked at Lucas and rolled her eyes.

"Are you fucking serious right now?" Peyton said with a laugh. She got up from the bed. Being next to him was driving her crazy.

"You should go." Peyton said.

"Peyton…" Lucas replied.

"You can honestly think that Jake is the reason I feel like this. Oh that's right. You don't know anything about me anymore. Neither does Brooke. But the both of you want to come around and act like everything is okay between us. Well it isn't. You are a shitty friend and I don't feel like explaining any of this to you. So get out of my house." Peyton folded her arms and glared at him. She knew that Lucas didn't deserve all of her rage. But she didn't care. Somebody was going to catch it. Lucas walked to the door of her room and paused.

"I just thought you could use a friend. And no matter what you think, I do care about you, Peyton." Lucas said.

"For fuck's sake man, just leave already." Peyton groaned.

Lucas didn't say anything else. He just left and once again Peyton was all alone.

And she was starting to feel like being alone was the only way to go.

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's notes: I forgot to mention that I will be using dialogue from the show for some parts of the story. Just when necessary of course. Well, thanks for reading. **_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me. **_

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 4**_

* * *

**Later that evening…**

**Peyton's bedroom…**

Peyton was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. She had been sitting there listening to Citizen Cope. Every song that played seemed to fit her mood. It was just nice to have someone understand the way she was feeling. She was just tired of it. Always having to chase after people. Hoping that maybe somebody would notice that she was going through something. And her friends just pretended to understand what she was going through.

And they didn't.

Everyone around her always seemed to have their shit together. And that just made her feel even more isolated. Talking to her friends just made her wonder, what did she actually have in common with them? Brooke was like a completely different person. Lately it felt like the only thing they had in common was the fact that they grew up together. Even Lucas felt like a stranger to her. And all of that was fine. After all people change and grow apart but for them to act like they still cared about her just seemed like an insult.

So instead of worrying about how to get them to understand her, she figured it was easier to just leave them alone. Which brought her back to original problem of feeling like she was all alone. Peyton sighed and clicked repeat on the remote for her CD player. She listened to the words once again.

"You know it ain't easy, for these thoughts here to leave me, there are no words to describe it, in French or English…cause diamonds they fade and flowers they bloom…and I'm telling you, that these won't go away…they've been knockin' me sideways…" She spoke along with the song.

When she got to that line, the look on Anna's face in the quad popped into her mind. She didn't even say anything to her. She had to have heard about the locker. Hell everybody heard about the locker by second period. And she didn't even check on her. And somehow, it bothered even more than Brooke and Lucas's failed attempts at making her feel better. Maybe whatever she had saw in Anna wasn't really there.

Just then she heard somebody ringing the doorbell. It rang a few times but Peyton just ignored it. A few seconds later, she heard someone coming in through the side door.

Great. More company… Peyton thought.

* * *

Anna climbed the stairs to Peyton's room. She had been trying to figure out what to say and she couldn't come up with anything. The Latina had felt awful for ignoring her earlier but she didn't have choice. At least that is what she had been telling herself all day. And that feeling in her stomach had just gotten stronger. The one that had been trying to make get up and go after Peyton.

But how could she tell Peyton anything?

She barely understood it herself.

Maybe if she just simplified it. Just give Peyton the bare facts of the situation. Make her see where she was coming from. But Peyton deserved more than that. She couldn't lie to her. She lied to everybody else all the time. And when she was with Peyton last night, Anna finally felt like she didn't have to hide anything. That Peyton would at least listen to her.

Anna took a deep breath when she reached the top of the stairs. She just had to tell Peyton the truth. All of it. And maybe she would give her another chance.

She got to the doorway and there she was. Sitting on her bed with the same expression on her face that she had last night. Anna just stood silently for a second. Just being near her once again, she felt at ease. She knocked on the door and spoke.

"I rang the doorbell…"

Peyton picked up the remote and turned down the CD player. She didn't even look in her direction.

"I know. I just didn't want to answer."

Anna sighed. Clearly, Peyton wasn't going to make this easy on her.

"I'm sorry I blew you off at lunch today…"

"Y'know this is starting to become a pattern with you showing up in my room to apologize." Peyton finally made eye contact with her.

"I know but…" Anna paused. She looked into Peyton's eyes. And that connection she felt last night was there once again. Sure, Peyton was still mad at her but she could feel it. Now she just needed to tell Peyton the truth.

"At my last school…there were some rumors about me. About a relationship I was having with another girl."

Peyton didn't say a word. She just kept looking into Anna's eyes.

"I tried to ignore it. But the stories just kept getting worse. It got so bad for me at my old school that my parents ended up pulling me and Felix out of the school. And then they moved us here. And that's why Felix is so protective of me. He was really happy at our last school and he didn't want to move." Anna said.

"But I thought you said they were just rumors…" Peyton said.

"You know how high school is. Once something gets out there…it might as well be true. So when I saw your locker and the way that people were looking at you. I guess it scared me. It was a horrible time for me Peyton…" Anna turned around and start flipping through Peyton's records.

* * *

Peyton couldn't imagine what Anna had gone through at her old school. She had only been dealing with this for a few hours. Anna had to change schools because of it. She looked into the Latina's and saw the tears welling up in her eyes before she turned around.

"I'm sorry." Peyton said.

"What are you apologizing for?" Anna asked with her back still turned.

"Because somebody should." Peyton said.

"Thanks. So what are you going to do about it?" Anna asked.

"I don't know…" Peyton replied.

"You could always just let it go. I mean you aren't gay…right?" Anna asked.

"That's not the point…" Peyton said.

"What do you mean?" Anna replied.

"Let me show you something…" Peyton got out of bed and went over to her record collection. She thumbed through it until she found what she was looking for. She handed Anna the record.

"Read that."

"First they put away the dealers, keep our kids safe and off the street. Then they put away the prostitutes, keep married men cloistered at home. Then they shooed away the bums, then they beat and bashed the queers, turned away asylum-seekers, fed us suspicions and fears. We didn't raise our voice, we didn't make a fuss. It's funny there was no one left to notice when they came for us." Anna said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Anna, it's not about who I am, it's about who they are. They are people who hate and they divide and they feed off people that don't fight back. Yeah, I could laugh this off, but what about the girl who can't? Who's gonna help her? Silence only makes them stronger." Peyton said.

Anna stood there for moment. Looking into Peyton's eyes. She had to be one of the strongest people she had ever met. Anna put the record back in the crate.

"I wish I was as strong as you." Anna said.

"Thanks for saying that." Peyton smiled.

"I guess I'll head on home then." Anna turned to leave but Peyton quickly spoke.

"Or you could stay. For a little bit." Peyton said.

"I could do that."

Anna and Peyton walked back over to the blonde's bed and sat down. Peyton picked the remote and pushed next. A few seconds later the song Protection by Massive Attack came on.

"This girl I know needs some shelter  
She don't believe anyone can help her  
She's doing so much harm, doing so much damage  
But you don't want to get involved  
You tell her she can manage  
And you can't change the way she feels  
But you could put your arms around her…"

The words filled the room. Anna turned to look at her friend.

"It sounds like it's talking about you…" Anna said.

"Or maybe it's about both of us." Peyton replied.

Anna just smiled and leaned back against the pillows. Peyton sat back with her. They didn't say anything else to each other.

For the moment there was nothing else to say.

**To be continued…**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's notes: This chapter is dedicated to my friend, Peyton's comet. Her insight and vision helped make this chapter great. Hopefully, it lives up to her expectations. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me. **_

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 5**_

* * *

**The next morning…**

**Peyton's bedroom…**

Peyton finished clipping the white t-shirt to the easel she had sat up. She had been thinking about what she told Anna all night. That she couldn't just laugh this off. If she did, then she would be letting everyone at school think she was okay with that word and what it meant.

Peyton couldn't help but think about all of the songs she had heard over the years about standing up for what you believe in and being the voice of those who are too afraid to speak. She had to do something. No matter the consequences. Peyton grabbed her remote and hit the play button. Soon her room was filled with the sounds of 22-20's 'Shoot your Gun'.

She stood there for a moment. Letting the song's lyrics build up her resolve.

'Once you had a reason  
and once you had a place  
you had it all and laid it all to waste  
and I know you hate to need us  
but why'd you need to hate?  
and where'd you learn to shoot without restraint?'

The words hit the desired target inside of Peyton. She closed her eyes and turned up the volume.

She grabbed a spray can from her milk crate of art supplies. Peyton shook the can a few times and continued staring at the blank canvas she had created. Peyton popped the top off of the spray paint and aimed at the shirt.

I am not letting them win. Not today…Peyton thought.

And with that, she began writing on the t-shirt.

* * *

Anna was standing at her locker looking for chemistry notebook. She was sure that it was in here but so far there was no sign of it. She had been thinking about Peyton had said to her. And even though Peyton had said she shouldn't be ashamed or afraid to just be herself. It didn't matter if she liked boys or girls, all that mattered was that she was being true to herself. However, it was easier just to hide. That way no one could call her names, or spray paint her locker, or make her ashamed.

Anna sighed.

She wasn't going to do anything today. So instead of spending the day beating herself up over being afraid, Anna was just going to do what she did best. Fade into the background. And hopefully no one would notice her. The Latina found her notebook, put it in her bag and closed her locker. As she closed the door, Anna started hearing a couple of 'oh my gods' and a few 'what the hells' from the end of the hallway. She turned around and saw Peyton.

Peyton Sawyer was wearing a white t-shirt with the word Dyke spray painted on it in big red letters like the ones on her locker. And she was walking down the hallway. Everybody could see her. She wasn't hiding anything at all. She was going to stand up in the middle of the school for everyone to see.

Anna felt like she couldn't breathe. She had always thought that Peyton was strong and fearless but now she knew that the blonde had conviction. Anna couldn't take her eyes off of the girl. The look on her face. Her confident stride as she approach her locker. And as she walked by her, Peyton made sure to make eye contact with Anna.

In that moment, Anna felt like she and Peyton were the only two people in that hallway. She could hear what Peyton was saying to her even though she wasn't saying a word.

Anna kept watching as Peyton got to her locker and started putting her things away. Then she saw the principal heading towards her. She could hear the principal telling her about school policy and Peyton firing back about her locker still having that horrible word on it. Then he told her she needed to change or be sent home. And that was going to be the end of Peyton's rebellion. Anna's heart started to sink. She started turn around to head to class not wanting to see anymore. She turned around, thinking that she was going to see Peyton being led to the office.

But instead, she saw her friend still standing there. Not backing down in the slightest. She told him a story about a singer who didn't change his beliefs because of what other people thought. Then she told him that she would never let anyone tear her down for being who she is. Turner, however, didn't appear to be moved by the statement.

"The policy is clear, Peyton. Remove the shirt or be suspended." Principal Turner said sternly. The onlookers in the hall went as silent as Anna. Everyone knew that Peyton was give up for sure now. Then the blonde did something that Anna would never forget.

"Fine." Peyton grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head. She pulled it all the way off and a few girls gasped. A few of the guys snickered. She tossed the shirt at Turner's feet.

Anna mouth dropped open from seeing Peyton standing there in her red bra in front the entire school. She wasn't going to let anyone or anything make her ashamed of who she was.

"Can you hear my song now Mr. Turner?" Peyton turned around and marched right back down the hallway with all eyes on her.

"Enjoy your suspension, Miss Sawyer!" Turner shouted after her.

Once Peyton was out of the hallway, Anna leaned against the lockers behind her. Her heart was beating so fast and her stomach was fluttering like never before. That was the most amazing thing she had ever seen in her life. She felt different now. Everything felt different now.

And she would never look at Peyton Sawyer the same way again.

_**To Be Continued…**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's notes: Not much to say here. Let's just get started. **_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me.**_

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 6**_

* * *

**Later that day…**

"Hey."

Peyton looked over her shoulder and saw Anna standing in the doorway of Tric. She hadn't seen the Latina since the incident in the hallway. And if she was being honest, Peyton didn't want to see her at all.

"Anna." Peyton said.

"You're canceling your club night?" Anna asked. She had noticed the sign on the door when she came in.

"Yeah." Peyton said without even looking in Anna's direction.

"Is it because of the rumors?" Anna asked as she walked down the stairs.

"Because I can't sing and dance. I really would like to be alone right now." Peyton glared at her.

"Ok. But before I go, I just wanted to tell you something." Anna said. She could tell Peyton was in a bad mood but she couldn't hold this feeling in any longer.

"Dude…seriously…" Peyton started to say but Anna didn't seem like she was leaving.

"I…I just wanted to say that you inspired me today. When you stood up to Turner and the rest of the school, it made me feel like I could do anything. Like I didn't have to be afraid of what other people might think." Anna said.

"Really? That's great." Peyton said with zero emotion.

"Why are you acting like this?" Anna asked.

"Acting like what?" Peyton replied in the same tone.

"Like you don't give a shit." Anna said.

"Maybe I don't." Peyton answered.

"You don't mean that." Anna said.

"Yeah I do. Three times, Anna. Three times you have shit all over our friendship. Once at the dance, then at school when I was sitting there after my locker got painted, you just ignored me. You acted like you didn't even know me." Peyton turned to face her now.

"And the fact that you only acknowledge me when we are alone, just proves to me that you never wanted to be my friend. I am just a crutch to you. Someone you can lean when nobody is around. Well I don't have the time to be your secret friend." Peyton said without breaking eye contact.

"You really think that is how I see you?" Anna asked.

"I know it is." Peyton said.

"Well that's not true." Anna said back.

"Whatever, I call them like I see them. And that is how I see you." Peyton started to walk away from the Latina.

Anna stood there trying to process everything Peyton said. After a few moments, she could only come up with one reply.

"You're right."

Peyton stopped walking and stood there.

"I was scared, Peyton. You have no idea what is was like at my old school." Anna paused for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. Then she continued.

"And the thought of going through that again, I just couldn't. So instead of being honest with myself, I would just deflect it all." Anna said.

"Anytime somebody called me gay or said something about me liking a girl, I would either blow it off or make a joke out of it. So when you said I looked pretty at the dance that day, I just went into auto pilot mode. I tried to make a joke out of it. It always seemed to work. Make a joke and they will leave you alone. But it was different when I did that to you. It felt like I was doing the wrong thing. It never felt like before." Anna continued.

"Then the next day at school…even after spending the night at your place…I just fell right back into pattern. And I ended up hurting you again. God, you were the only person who I felt like I could…but then something happen today. Something that I will never forget as long as I live." Anna paused again. Peyton still hadn't turned around. But it didn't matter.

Anna took a deep breath and continued.

"I saw you standing up for the girls who were too afraid to speak. I saw you standing up for girls like me." Anna swallowed hard trying to fight the urge to cry. Then Peyton turned around and looked her in the eyes.

"And what I was trying to say before is I am not afraid anymore." Anna walked over to Peyton and held her hand.

"So instead of running away from you or acting like I don't know you, I am here saying I am your friend. I am not going anywhere. No matter how mean you try to be." Anna said.

Peyton was still looking into her eyes. And there was something different in them. There was something inside telling her that Anna was trying to change. Normally, if somebody had screwed her over as many times as Anna did, she wouldn't even waste any more of her time. But instead of that, Peyton decided to follow her gut.

She changed the grip and let her fingers intertwine with Anna's.

"Okay I can handle that." Peyton nodded.

The girls just stood there together. Anna was feeling like she had finally turned a corner. She still had a long road ahead of her but it didn't feel so hopeless now. And Peyton was starting to feel like she had someone trust in Anna. They didn't break their eye contact either. It felt like they were in a completely different place now.

Just then Peyton's phone started vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that it was Rick. The same Rick that had given her the cocaine. The blonde stared at the screen for a moment.

"Did you need to get that?" Anna asked.

Peyton smiled and closed her phone.

"Nah. It's nothing important."

"Cool. So I was wondering…could I…?" Anna started to ask but Peyton just gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"You can crash at my place. Just give me an hour to finish up here and I'll meet you there." Peyton said.

"Okay." Anna smiled. She gently let Peyton's hand go and headed out of the club.

* * *

Peyton pulled up in her driveway and put her car in park. She had been smiling all the way home. Today had been a pretty interesting day. She got suspended but at the same time, she helped inspire a girl to stand up for herself. Seemed like a fair trade.

The blonde got her things out of the backseat and walked towards her front door. As she walked up, she noticed somebody sitting on her front porch. It wasn't Anna. She still had about 20 minutes before the Latina was due to show up. The person stood up and walked off the porch.

"Hey. I thought you would never get here."

Peyton couldn't believe it.

After all this time, Jake Jagielski was back in Tree Hill.

"Great. Just great…" Peyton mumbled.

**To Be Continued…**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's notes: I hope everyone is enjoying the story. **_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me.**_

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 7**_

* * *

"Jake, what the hell are you doing here?" Peyton asked as she folded her arms. It was amazing to her that after weeks of not answering a single email, Jake was suddenly on her porch.

"Lucas told me that he was worried about you. So he gave me a call and here I am." Jake said with a smile.

"So Lucas gives you one phone call and you magically show up at my house?" Peyton asks.

"Yeah. I mean he said you were going through some things and that you missed me. So I jumped on the first bus out of Savannah to get here." Jake said.

"Let me ask this again. Because clearly I am hearing things. I sent you emails. I wrote you letters. I sent you text messages and I get nothing. But Lucas calls you once and you get here as fast you can?" Peyton asked.

"It's not like that. Nicki could have been watching my emails and my phone messages." Jake answered.

"Because Nicki is suddenly a master hacker who can monitor network traffic? Come on, man. You have to do better than that." Peyton snarked.

"Look does that really matter? The important thing is I am here." Jake took a few steps forward and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I am here for you, Peyton." Jake said.

"Ugh. Sounds like you are here for Lucas. Not me." Peyton groaned as she brushed Jake's hand off of her.

"Look, you have every reason to be mad at me. Just let me explain…" Jake said.

"Dude you had your chance to explain. You could have just told me that you needed to keep some space between us. Or you were worried about Nicki. Or that you were traveling through time. All you had to do was respond. Just once. But instead, you decided to say nothing." Peyton walked past him and onto her porch.

"Even then, I guess part of me can understand that, too. But now you show up on my doorstep not because you needed to see me or even just to let me know that you weren't dead. You show up because Lucas friggin' Scott told you to!" Peyton took a deep breath. She was getting madder by the second.

"Peyton…" Jake started to say but Peyton just kept going like he didn't even say anything.

"So you know what? Let me fill you in on something. I don't need you, Jake. Now get the fuck out of here." Peyton hissed.

"Okay. I'll be staying at Luke's for the next few days. Maybe we can talk once you calm down." Jake said.

"Whatever." Peyton turned around and walked inside of her house.

* * *

Anna was walking down her driveway with her overnight bag, when she noticed Lucas heading towards her house. She smiled and waved at him. He walked over to her.

"Hey…" Lucas said.

"Hey, Luke. What's up?" Anna asked as she sat her bag down.

"Okay. I am sorry for just showing up like this. But I think we should talk." Lucas said.

"Alright." Anna said.

"Well you know how much I care about you, right…" Lucas said.

"Yeah…" Anna said cautiously.

"There is somebody else. She is a part of my history and I have been lying to myself about how I feel about her." Lucas said.

"Oh." Anna said.

"I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to be honest with you. I think I owe that much." Lucas said.

"You don't owe me anything, Lucas." Anna said.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lucas asked.

Anna looked at him. She thought that she would be more upset. After all she did just get dumped. And yet, it didn't really bother her. In fact, she hadn't thought about Lucas in that way in awhile. Anna just smiled at him. She picked her bag up and put it on her shoulder.

"Yeah, Luke. I'll be fine. See you tomorrow." Anna patted him on the shoulder and made her way to Peyton's house.

* * *

"Hey…" Peyton said as she opened the front door for Anna.

"Hey. You actually locked the door for once. Something wrong?" Anna smirked. She came inside and put her bag by the steps.

"Nah. I am just trying to avoid any more unwelcomed guests." Peyton said. She closed the door and locked it.

"I feel like I am missing a piece here." Anna said.

"Yeah you did." Peyton went to the living room and took a seat on the couch. Anna sat down on the other end. She pulled off her gym shoes and sat on the cushion Indian style. She turned so she was facing the blonde.

"Jake's back. I got home and he was sitting on my front porch." Peyton admitted.

"Oh." Anna felt like she had been punched in the face. She knew how Peyton felt about him. They had history and she couldn't contend with that.

Peyton turned towards Anna and saw the expression on her face. She quickly scooted closer to her.

"No, Anna. It's not like that."

"You don't have to explain…" Anna said.

Then, Peyton reached out and took the Latina's hand. She gave it a squeeze.

"Honestly, Anna, you are the only one I want to explain it to." Peyton gave her a little smile.

"And then I told him to get the fuck out of here." Peyton handed Anna a cup of tea before she sat back down on the couch. She scooted closer to Anna.

"Wow. I can't imagine what it must have been like to see him after all this time." Anna took a sip from the cup.

"That's the other thing. I thought seeing him again would…I don't know make me feel something." Peyton said.

"I think telling him to get the fuck out of here qualifies as feeling something." Anna laughed.

"Okay, you are right about that. But I guess was talking like romantically or something." Peyton sat her cup down on the coffee table.

"And you didn't?" Anna asked.

"Nope. Not even a little bit. Pretty weird, right?" Peyton replied.

"Well, before I came over, I ran into Lucas." Anna said.

"Oh. I didn't you two were still a…um…" Peyton started to say.

"We aren't anymore. We broke up. And by broke up, I mean he dumped me." Anna said.

"That sucks. Do you want me to add it to the list of reasons why I am going punch Lucas in the face tomorrow?" Peyton asked.

"Actually no. It didn't bother me at all. I was fine with it." Anna said.

"So, I see Jake and you see Lucas. And neither one of really cared. What does that mean?" Peyton asked.

"Something…" Anna said.

Anna took a deep breath. Suddenly, she felt something come over her. She looked at the blonde sitting next to her. Maybe it was the way Peyton said it. Or maybe it was because Peyton had stood up for what she believed in. Maybe it was the way they always held hands. Or maybe it was because Anna's brain had finally figured out what her heart had been saying all along.

"Anna? Why are you looking at me like that?" Peyton asked with a smile.

Anna didn't answer. She just leaned in and gently brushed a few of those blonde curls away from her face.

And then she gave Peyton a slow and gentle kiss.

**To Be Continued…**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's notes: I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Shout out to Migs. I owe you a cookie. **_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me.**_

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 8**_

* * *

When Anna finally broke the kiss, Peyton didn't know what to think. She liked Anna. She liked her a lot. However, she hadn't really thought about being anything more than her friend. Anna was looking at her in that same way Lucas used to look at her.

"Sorry. I just couldn't help it." Anna smiled.

"Oh." Peyton instantly regretted saying 'oh'. Out of all of the things to say, oh seemed like the worst possible thing to say.

"What is it? Oh my god. You didn't…I mean…" Anna looked rather embarrassed. Which only made Peyton feel worse.

"No! Anna, it's not like that at all..." Peyton said.

"So you didn't want me to kiss you?" Anna asked.

"I don't know. I never thought about it before…" Peyton admitted.

"I can't believe it. I shouldn't have...I should go." Anna got up from the couch and starting heading towards the front door.

"Anna! Wait!" Peyton jumped up from her seat.

"Peyton. It's okay. I get it." Anna said.

"No you don't because I don't get it. I just…" Peyton paused.

"Peyton. It's really okay. I was caught up in the moment and I got a little carried away." Anna said.

"Can we just stop for a second? Please? You aren't even giving me a chance to explain." Peyton sighed.

"What is there to explain? I like you and you don't like me. At least in that way." Anna said.

"That's not true, Anna." Peyton said.

Anna looked into Peyton's eyes and held both of her hands.

"So do you…do you like me? I mean as more than a friend." Anna asked.

"I…" Peyton froze. She had to say something. Anything would be better than saying nothing. All she had to do was just say whatever was on her mind.

"I don't know." Peyton admitted.

"And that's okay. But I still think I should go." Anna said.

"You don't have to go. I'm sorry I freaked out." Peyton said.

"I think I should. I'll call you later." Anna picked up her bag and walked out of the front door.

* * *

Anna got home in record time. It had started raining while she was walking so on top of everything else, she was soaked. She walked down the hallway to her room. Her parents were out of town visiting family and Felix was probably in Brooke's bed by now. So at least she had the house to herself.

She didn't exactly know what to feel now. She had made her move and Peyton didn't respond in the way she was hoping for. Anna opened her dresser and pulled a t-shirt to wear. Just as she pulled out the shirt, her own reflection caught her eye.

Anna stopped for a minute. The Latina straightened up a bit as she stared at herself. Back in the old days, she would be crying her eyes out. Wondering what she did to deserve this feeling of rejection. However, this time, she felt completely different.

There was nothing to cry about. No reason to feel like the world was ending. Peyton had shown her that sometimes you need to be fearless. That you need to stand up and believe in yourself no matter what the cost. After watching her in the hallway, Anna knew exactly what she wanted.

She wanted to be with Peyton.

And even though she freaked out over the kiss. It didn't change anything. Anna wasn't going to give up. She just needed to take her time. And hopefully, everything would work itself out.

Anna smiled at herself.

"Tomorrow is a new day."

* * *

Peyton was lying in her bed staring up at the ceiling again. Today had been another of those special days. But even after everything that happened, she was still sitting here all alone. She reached for her remote and pushed play. Sometimes, music helped give her clarity. Well maybe not clarity. Music just helped her organize her thoughts so she could get a better perspective.

As the music played, she heard her door open and somebody clomping up her stairs. There was only one person that would do that.

"So you get suspended and you don't even bother to tell me?" Brooke said as she got to the doorway of Peyton's room.

"I figured you would hear about it sooner or later." Peyton just smirked without looking in Brooke's direction.

"Peyton, this is serious. You got suspended over a joke. Why couldn't you just let it go?" Brooke asked.

"It's not just a joke, Brooke. There are people in our school who think it is okay to use that word and it isn't." Peyton said calmly.

"So then why did you have to do it?" Brooke asked.

Peyton didn't answer. She just remembered what Anna had said to her before.

"Because sometimes you have to speak for the people who can't speak for themselves." Peyton said.

"Okay. I understand that. But why wouldn't you tell me?" Brooke asked.

"Tell you what?" Peyton asked back.

"Anything that has been going on with you! I used to know everything that was going on with my best friend and now I have to find out about what's going on with you from everyone but you." Brooke answered.

"Brooke, we barely talk anymore. Since Felix came to town, it's like our friendship isn't a priority to you. And I am not saying that you shouldn't be in a relationship. But when you are in one, you throw yourself into it completely and everything else gets pushed to the side." Peyton said.

"I know I have been spending a lot of time with Felix but you are my best friend Peyton. And I'll never push you to the side for any guy." Brooke said.

"It's more than just that. Yesterday, you could see that this thing with my locker was bugging me. And instead of just being there and listening to me, you decided to make gay jokes and tell me how I was handling this wrong." Peyton said.

"I never said you were handling it wrong." Brooke said back.

"Bullshit. You told me the old P. Sawyer would have rolled with this." Peyton shot back.

"Fine. I have tried to use the kid gloves with you, Peyton. But I think you need a dose of truth." Brooke said.

"From you? This oughta be good." Peyton said as she continued to stare the ceiling.

"You have been in a funk all year. And I have tried to be there for you and I just can't take it anymore. You are wearing me out with this moody shit." Brooke said.

"Are you serious?" Peyton asked.

"Yes, you make it so hard to be your friend. And lately I'm not seeing the point of even…" Brooke started to say but she stopped herself.

"And there it is. You don't want to be my friend anymore right?" Peyton asked.

"I didn't say that. I was just going to…" Brooke started to say.

"What are you going to say?" Peyton asked.

"I need a break from this. From you." Brooke admitted.

"Just go then." Peyton said.

Brooke nodded and left the room. Leaving Peyton alone once again.

**To be continued…**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Notes: Sorry I had this chapter done and forgot to post it. My fault. I'll try to have chapter 10 done before the weekend is over. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: One Tree Hill doesn't belong to me.**_

* * *

_**Say Something, Say Anything… - Chapter 9**_

Peyton came downstairs after sleeping most of the morning away. She figured that since she was suspended there was no point in getting up early. Yesterday had truly worn her out. Between Jake, Brooke and Anna, it was the second most dramatic day of her life. And that is saying something considering how dramatic her days tended to be.

The artist wandered into the kitchen and flipped the switch on the coffee maker.

She hadn't even begun to process everything that had happened. And she had no idea where to start. So instead of figuring out what she should do, Peyton decided to not do anything. No thinking about Jake or Brooke. There was no point. The coffee had finally finished brewing. Peyton grabbed the sugar and her mug. She dumped like 10 spoonfuls of sugar into the mug and poured herself a cup.

Peyton sat down on her spot on the couch and took a sip. Even though she had decided not to worry about Jake or Brooke, Anna had been on her mind all night. She had been replaying what happened over and over again. She knew had Anna had a crush on her and if she was honest she had a crush on her too. But she never thought about acting on those feelings.

Anna did act on her feelings. And now Peyton felt like her feelings for Anna might be changing. There was a part of her though, that didn't want to acknowledge this change. In fact, that same part of Peyton didn't want to risk the friendship she was building with Anna.

The blonde took another sip of coffee and sighed. This was going to be a long three days.

* * *

"And then she told me to fuck off." Jake said as he and Lucas walked out the basketball player's house.

"Damn. Well I thought she wanted to see you." Lucas said.

"Well next time maybe you should check with her first." Jake said. They walked over to Lucas's tow truck. He and Lucas leaned against it.

"Yeah. So what are you going to do now?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know. Hey would it be cool if I crashed here with you for a few days?" Jake asked.

"Sure. I am sure my mom won't mind. Are you going to see Peyton again?" Lucas asked.

"Probably. She can't stay mad at me forever, right?" Jake answered.

"Good luck with that." Lucas laughed.

* * *

It was lunchtime at Tree Hill High and Anna was sitting on a bench in the quad. Anna was debating on whether or not she should stay for the rest of the day or try to go see Peyton. She did have a quiz or something in Chemistry but it didn't feel important to her.

What was important to her at this moment was Peyton.

She had been thinking about the kiss she shared with her all night. It was amazing. Even what happened afterwards didn't go the way she wanted. But like she had told herself before, it was okay. Just because she had this revelation about her feelings, it didn't mean Peyton felt the same way.

Anna may have been wrong about the timing of the kiss but she knew that Peyton had to feel something. She had to. The connection between them was real. Every time they were together, she felt it. And it wasn't the kind of feeling you could ignore. She just had to get Peyton to see that.

Just then, she saw her brother walking across the quad hand in hand with Brooke. Clearly his night had gone well.

"Hey." Anna turned to see Lucas sitting down on the bench next to her.

"Hey Lucas. What's up?" Anna asked.

"It's just been one of those days." He laughed and sat his book bag down at his feet.

"Tell me about it." Anna said.

"I wanted to ask you about something. But I wasn't sure if we were…" Lucas said.

"It's okay. It didn't work out between us but we can still be friends." Anna smiled.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Lucas smiled back.

"So what did you need to ask me?" Anna asked.

"I just wanted to know if everything was okay with Peyton. I know you two hang out sometimes and she isn't speaking to me at the moment." Lucas said.

Anna didn't know if she should even answer this question. But she knew Lucas would keep on bugging Peyton if she didn't tell him something.

"She's okay. I think she just needs some space right now." Anna said.

"Cool. Thanks for letting me know." Lucas smiles and gets up from the bench.

"No problem." Anna smiled back and Lucas headed towards the gym.

"What was that all about?"

Anna turned to see her brother, Felix, sitting down next to her.

"Nothing that you need to worry about." Anna answered.

"Whatever. If I catch that punk hanging around you…" Felix started to say.

Anna sighed. Once again she was going to have to listen to her brother talk about how much he hates Lucas and how he is going to kick his ass. And he was only trying to keep her safe. And it was enough. She didn't want to hear this anymore.

"You know what? I don't care what you think." Anna said standing up from the bench.

"What?" Felix looked surprised by Anna's reaction.

"I have listened to you crap on every single decision I have made. You never like anything I do and clearly you think I can't take care of myself." Anna said.

"I never said that." Felix smirked.

"See? Even now you aren't taking me seriously! You think I'm a joke! I am your sister and you treat me like a child!" Anna said back.

"Anna, I really think you should just walk away." Felix laughed.

"You can't just dismiss me like that." Anna said.

"Fine. You want to know why I treat you like a child. It is because you are one. You never think about the consequences of anything you do!" Felix stood up as well.

"I was perfectly fine at our old school! And you had to screw it all up! You couldn't just be normal! You had to go out and start fucking a girl just because you wanted some attention! And when you got caught, I had to pay for it!" Felix said through clenched teeth.

"So that's what you think happened? You think that it was just some kind of game?" Anna asked.

"Yes I do. You are doing the same with that Peyton chick. And if you think I am just gonna sit here and let you…" Felix said.

"Whatever is going on in my life has nothing to do with you!" Anna said back.

"Fine when this blows up in your face, and trust me it will, don't ask me to help you pick up the pieces." Felix glared.

"Go to hell." Anna put her bag over her shoulder and walked away from her brother.

**To be continued…**


End file.
